Undergarment



A. L. FLESH UNDERGARMENT Filed Jan. 31, 1933 Nov. 14, 1933.

Patented Nov. 14, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE UNDERGARMENT Alfred L. Flesh, Piqua, Ohio, assignor to The Atlas Underwear Company, Piqua, Ohio, a cor-' poration of Ohio This invention relates to undergarments of the so-called one piece type and it is concerned more particularly with a novel undergarment for women which includes a bust-supporting top, serving the purpose of a brassiere, and an improved drop seat.

The new undergarment is made preferably of knitted material having natural elasticity and it is so constructed as to fit the body snugly and without wrinkling. It may thus be worn with complete comfort, and its brassire top makes it possible for the wearer to dispense with a separate garment of this type. Also, since the brassiere top is an integral part of the new garment,

.the top is held in place at all times and cannot ride up out of position and it affords continuous support without binding.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a front view of the new garment.

Fig. 2 is a rear view with parts broken away;

Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6 and '7 are sectional views on the lines 3-3, 4-4, 5-5, 6-6 and 7-7, respectively,

of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawing, the new undergarment is illustrated as comprising a body portion 10, which is preferably made of knitted material and can be conveniently formed of a tubular piece of knitted goods so as to have a front and back, although, if desired, the back may be omitted. This body portion is cut to provide spaced side edges 11 at the back below the waist, arid at its lower end, it-terminates in leg portions 12 having-inseams along the lines indicated At the top, the undergarment includes a bust supporting or brassiere portion generally designated 14 and this may be made of various materials. For example, it may be formed of knitted material of a somewhat closer weave and of less elasticity than the knitted material used in the main part of the garment and it is cut to proper shape to givethe desired support and provided with darts 15 to give it the proper configuration. In the construction illustrated, the brassire top is secured to the upper edge of the body portion throughout a portion of the length of that edge at the front and sides and it has free ends 16 at the back of the garment. The top may be continuous from end to end and in the garment illustrated, the top is made of two similar pieces 14a, 14b (Fig. 6) of knitted material of fine mesh laid face to face. .Its upper edge is finished by means of edging 17 (as shown in Fig. 6) and the ends 16 and in particular the lower edges thereof may be reinforced by tape, if desired. Instead of making the top of pieces extending continuously from end to end, it may be made of two separate pieces overlapping centrally at the front. 00

The usual shoulder straps 18 are secured to the top at the front and back, and the free ends of the topare connected by one or more straps 19 which are preferably of elastic material so that they draw the ends toward one another and insure (55 a snug fit. In .the garment shown, there are two such straps and each strap is permanently attached to one end of the top and detachably secured to the other end of the top as by means of a button and loop. The straps preferably cross, as shown. In order that the upper edge of the body portion of the garment as illustrated may fit the wearer snugly, that part of the edge to which the brassiere top is not connected is provided with an elastic which may take the form of a rubber strand 20 disposed within a hem 21 formed along the upper edge of the body portion, as shown more clearly in Figure 5.

Between the spaced side edges of the body portion is a drop seat 22 which is secured to the body portion throughout its entire lateral margins. This drop seat extends up above the lower transverse edge 23 of the body portion so as to overlap the latter and it is provided at its free top edge with an elastic member 24 which is stitched to the top of the seat throughout the length of the latter. If desired, this elastic member may be made of elastic yarn and knitted as an integral part of the seat portion. The seat extends down 0 between the legs and through the crotch of the garment to a point 25 at the front thereof, and the seat is cut full, as indicated at 26, to provide the necessary fulness to conform to the figure of the wearer. 95

It will be seen that the new garment fits the body snugly, especially at the top, and the brassiere provides the desired support for the bust and is held snugly in place by the elastic straps at the back. Since this top is secured to the 10 upper edge of the body portion of the garment throughout the major portion of its length, it cannot ride up and cause discomfort. The drop seat extends through the crotch and may thus be cut so as to provide fulness and avoid. binding at 10 this point. The seat is attached to the garment throughout the length of the sides of the seat and thus fits snugly without gaping at all times. The elastic member at-the top of the seat being secured throughout its length to the seat insures that,

when the seat is released, it will be restored to normal position and lie fiat without wrinkling.

I claim: I

. 1. In an undergarment, the combination of a body portion, a bust-supporting top secured to the body portion, parts of said top at the back of the body being free of the latter and spaced apart, means connecting said parts for drawing them toward each other, means attached to the upper edge of the back of said body portion for drawing it together, and a drop seat below the upper edge of the back of the body portion.

2. In an undergarment, the combination of a body portion, a bust-supporting top secured throughout a part of its length to the upper edge of the body portion, said top havingfree ends spaced apart and extending toward each other, an elastic strap connecting said ends, elastic means attached to the upper edge of said body portion and lying between the ends of the attached portions of said top for causing said body portion to fit snugly, and a drop seat below the upper edge of the back of the body portion.

3. In an undergarment, the combination of a body portion, a bust-supporting top secured throughout a part of its length to the upper edge of the body portion, said top having free ends spaced apart and extending toward each other, an'

elastic strap connecting said ends, an elastic member secured to the upper edge of said body back of the body being free of the body portion and spaced apart, and means connecting said spaced parts for drawing them toward each other.

5. In an undergarment the combination ofa body portion a part of which is adapted to encircle the body between the waist and the busts, means for causing said portion to snugly fit the body of the wearer, a bust-supporting top secured to the body portion, parts of said bust-supporting top at the back of the body being free of the body portion and spaced apart, and means connecting said spaced parts for drawing them toward each other.

6. In an undergarment, the combination of a body portion a part of which is adapted to encircle the body between the waist and the busts, an elastic member secured to the upper edge of vsaid encircling portion for causing said portion to snugly fit the body of the wearer, a bust-supporting top secured to the body portion, parts of said bust-supporting top at the back of the body being free of the body portion and spaced apart, and means connecting said spaced parts for drawing them toward each other.

ALFRED L. FLESH. 

